How to turn a 260z 2+2 door into a 240z door.

[Retro Z]

Hi guys thought i'd post up how i modified a 260z 2+2 door to fit my 240z.  This is for early 2+2 doors unsure if newer door will work. This mod will also work for 260z early 2-seater doors.

 

After searching for a good 240z door for over a year to no avail i then started to wonder whether i could modify a 260z 2+2 door to fit. I started to look at heaps of pics online and thought it would be feasible.. after all i made a 2+2 rear quarter panel fit my car, so i took the gamble and purchased a 2+2 door off Mark (Scoota G).

 

After many a measurement and eyeballing i've figured out that the 1st and 3rd part of the 2+2 door is the same as a 240z/2-seater and the outer handle, lock, hinge and latch etc are all at the same height, depth and location. So guess Nissan just added length to the middle of the door for the 2+2's exactly 10cm in fact.

 

 

So now i'll show you how i done it.

 

This mod can be done by a DIY'er as long as you have a steady hand, can measure and capable of using a welder and grinder. I consider myself as a Ghetto DIY'er and don't have any specialised tools or facilities, but i am a Mechanic and have a background in engineering which helps but i'm no 'Ledge, Scoota G or Lurch when it comes to Fabrication'

 

Do this at your own risk

 

What you will need: (what i used)

 

-rusted out 240z Door (not 100% necessary)

- Good 260z 2+2 door

- Ruler or Tape measure

-Clamps or vice grips

- 4" Angle grinder

-Mig Welder

-Flap discs

-1mm metal cutting disc.

-sand paper.

-Flat iron plate or some kind of straight flat piece of metal or wood etc.

-Masking tape, scriber, or permanent marker etc.

 

 

Okay so this took me about 3-4 hours all up and that is including measuring, thinking, staring, measuring again etc, so should be doable in around 3 hours or so if you work fast, but take your time as measurements and cuts need to be spot on.

Note; I have used the very inner skin of the 240z door frame as that is what all the ancillaries bolt to. The 2+2 inner frame skin can be used but you will at least need a 240z door to take measurements off if you decide to use the 2+2 door only, as the look,creases and holes etc are very different Also the 240z outer door skin brace can be used or you can just cut and weld the 2+2 one.

 

 

Step 1.  Cut off the 2+2 inner frame skin. (I cut just before the first crease and used a flap disc to clean up and bring the cut it to the edge/crease.

 

-Before

 

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/59/img20130527142145.jpg/

 

-After

 

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/41/img20130527144449.jpg/

 

 

Step 2. Get your 240z door and do the same as step 1 but this time cut after the first crease in the door jamb and use the flap disc to grind down and clean up the edge.

 

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/826/img20130527150515.jpg/

 

 

Step 3. Get 2+2 door . Measure out exactly 100mm/10cm anywhere but at least 20cm from either edge of the door. Scribe, use a marker or masking tape and mark from top to bottom of 2+2 door, make sure you measure 100mm across down the entire door.

 

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/842/img20130527152219.jpg/

 

 

 

Step 4 Once confident of your measurements and markings get your angle grinder with a 1mm cutting disc and cut away. Cut all the way around from top to bottom and through the outer skin support beam aswell. If your not confident in getting precise cuts, cut inside the lines a mm or two and you can skim it back later on with a flap disc.

 

 

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/841/img20130527153453.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/607/img20130527154623.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/191/img20130527155457.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/23/img20130527160422.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/836/img20130527160528.jpg/

 

Step 5 If your cuts were precise you can skip this step. If not, grind back and clean up your cuts to the marked lines drawn in the last step.

 

 

 

 

Step 6 Now temporarily sit the 2 pieces together and check to see if the 240z inner frame skin (from step 2) meets up and looks right.

 

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/195/img20130527160742.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/194/img20130527160748.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/268/img20130527160755.jpg/

 

If happy proceed.

 

 

Step 7. Now if you weren't certain you may take measurements off your old 240z door shell and then again of the 2+2 cutoffs. Once measurement are down to the millimeter and your happy, prepare the previously cut edges of the 2 pieces with sand paper or whatever in order to weld.

 

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/507/img20130527162402.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/845/img20130527162350.jpg/

 

 

 

Step 8. This part is crucial, use some clamps or vice grips and flat iron, wood or whatever in order to keep the 2 pieces square and tight while welding. ( i used 5mm aluminium strips with several vice grips

 

 

Step 9- Start welding!. I tacked first on the outside, then on the inside, then top and bottom etc all while checking and making sure its still square as welds can pull the metal in different directions and distort your door. Once its all tacked, solid and square slowly weld it all but make sure you move around as to not heat the metal too much in one area and warp the door. You can weld inside or outside or both, up to you.

 

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/46/img20130527174453.jpg/

 

 

Step 10- Once 2+2 door shell is welded, you can grind back and clean all your welds or fill in any remaining pinholes etc. Good time to also paint the inside or rust treat if you want.

 

 

 

Step 11

  Attach and weld back the inner 240z frame skin from step 2. Clean up your welds and your done!!

 

 

Here's the old rusty 240z door on left and new Modded 2+2 door on the right.

 

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/703/img20130527175226.jpg/

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry about my grammer and poor quality photos.

 

If anyone needs any help or have any questions let me know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Retro Z]

Sorry about the pics guys, the forum is not displaying the pictures directly for some reason so you'll have to just click on the links.

[nizm0zed]

nice!

 

As for the pics, you need to add on some html code to your links.

if you put [ img ] at the front and [ /img ] at the end of each link it'll direct link the picture.

Obviously remove the spaces from inside the brackets []

[C.A.R.]

Tai, What was so wrong with the 240Z door that you felt you needed to go to all this extra trouble?

[Retro Z]

nice!

 

As for the pics, you need to add on some html code to your links.

if you put [ img ] at the front and [ /img ] at the end of each link it'll direct link the picture.

Obviously remove the spaces from inside the brackets []

 

 

Yeah i done that and it comes up blank. I clicked on that mona-lisa logo thing and pasted the link in between. No link no picture nothing? I've done it before..this time didn't work. Maybe Mr Moderator can fix it for me?

[Retro Z]

Tai, What was so wrong with the 240Z door that you felt you needed to go to all this extra trouble?

 

Locky. Literally the whole bottom section and sides where the hinges mount were rusted out as was the top frame corners and entire bottom half of door skin. So i would have needed a new skin and a frame so this was easier. And i couldn't find anyone who was selling a door or frame. This costed me $50 plus a few spare hours on the weekend..instead of $240 for a skin + another frame and probably more labour. The only thing i could salvage from that 240z door was the inner frame skin which i used..all else was rotted.

 

As i said Ghetto Diy'er.

 

Here's a link to a pic of why i had to do what i did.

 

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/801/img20130514130859.jpg/

[Six_Shooter]

Picture links are not working for me. All I get are adverts.

[Retro Z]

I just checked and works for me?

 

I'll try reload them tonight on another hosting site.